Kindred Spirits
by Vicky Saraphinna
Summary: Dawn jumps instead of Buffy and lands in another world... as a hawk. How is she going to get out of this predicament without Buffy's help? Xover with King Arthur
1. Lost and Found

Kindred Spirits

This will be a crossover, but I'm not telling you till chapter two what the story will crossover with.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Buffy universe. That all belongs to Joss Whedon. The man belongs to someone famous, just not saying who until next chapter.

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Chapter One: Lost and Found 

Buffy was about to jump, giving her life to save her sister. Dawn had tears running down her pain-filled face. She was not going to let her sister jump off the one hundred-foot tower they were on to close the portal. This was her fault, after all. If she had struggled more, put up more of a fight, maybe the monk wouldn't have had the time to spill the blood before Buffy reached her. Dawn was not going to let her sister die on her behalf. At the last second, Dawn used all the strength she could muster to pull Buffy behind her, and ran toward the edge of the tower.

"Dawn! Don't!" cried Buffy, running to try to stop her sister.

"It's my time, Buffy. I love you," was all that was heard before Dawn's body leaped off the tower in a somewhat graceful way.

"DAWN!"

Dawn let the portal attach itself to her body as she fell. She felt her life slipping away, slowly at first, then, faster and faster, until Dawn knew no more.

* * *

She never felt an impact. _Strange . . . I think I'm supposed to hit the ground. It can't be that far below me right?_ She landed on her feet in a ray of unexplainable light. She blinked a few times, letting her eyes adjust to the light around her. 

"Hey kid."

Dawn looked up to see a being she did, but didn't recognise at the same time. She looked through her memories and remembered the Balance demon Buffy had talked about more than once. Whistler.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"Right now, you're in limbo. You did the right thing, stopping your sister like that. The way things were supposed to go. You saved everyone a lot of trouble doing that."

"So happy I'm able to convenience you," Dawn replied sarcastically.

"You helped your sister out too. The slayer will mourn you, but it kept her alive. Her friends wouldn't have let her stay dead and would have resurrected her, causing an imbalance. It would have cause more deaths than necessary. Less pain, in the end."

"Okay, so I ultimately helped Buffy. Good. But what am I doing here?"

"You're the Key, kid, you can't technically die. You have to go back to your original form, or be reincarnated."

"Okay . . . "

"Because you saved the Slayer, the Powers have decided to give you a choice. You can return to your original form, or return to an alternate dimension and live a life there."

"So I can turn into a ball of green light, or live again?"

"You got it kid."

"Do I have to decide now?"

"Yes. Sorry kid."

"If I decide to stay alive, will I get to keep my memories? Of the life I had with Buffy?"

"If you really want to, yes. It'll be more trouble for the Powers though, and they won't like that."

"I don't care what the Powers do or do not like. I'm not here to convenience the pain in my sister's ass; not after all the trouble they cause her."

"Whatever, kid. You have to make a decision now, or you will turn into the ball of energy you once were."

Dawn paused a moment. She knew being a ball of green again wasn't an option, but did she want to live without her family and friends? Without the people who helped her become the young woman that she was?

"I want to live, with all my memories of Buffy and the others intact."

"Okay. Good luck kid. Don't forget to spread out your arms."

* * *

She was lying on her back. That was the first thing she knew about her new life. That, and her stomach was in pain. She then remembered her the cuts the monk had made to spill her blood. _Stupid Powers,_ she thought. _Can't even heal my stomach after I help their sorry ass! And what the heck did Whistler mean by 'don't forget to spread out your arms'?_

She slowly opened her eyes, only to look in big yellow ones. _That's new,_ she thought. A growl came from the beholder of the yellow eyes. _A growl? What the heck? Whistler, where did you drop me?_

She looked at what the growl had come from. Standing atop her was some sort of dog. A very hungry and mean looking dog that had just found something to eat. Dawn squawked.

Wait! Squawked? She was supposed to scream, not squawk! What was she? Dawn looked at her body to find dark brown and red feathers. _Feathers? I'm a bird?_ Dawn squawked again.

Suddenly, a large pair of feet was standing beside her. _Those belong to a human!_ The man scared the wild dog away from her. The newly made bird looked up at her saviour, hoping he wasn't going to make her his next meal.

"Hello girl. Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you," he almost whispered as he bent over to pick her up. Dawn snapped at him, letting him know that she wanted him to go away. Or so she thought.

"Now, don't be like that. You're hurt; I'm going to get you better 'tis all." Dawn looked in his deep brown eyes and saw sincerity. When she broke eye contact, the man took this as an okay to help her. He picked her up, and cuddled her to his chest as he walked away.

Dawn took this opportunity to look at her rescuer. He was rough looking, dangerous even, and had an air of what Dawn imagined an assassin would have. His dark hair was tangled, some strands in tiny braids, his clothes looked extremely old and he wore armour. He looked like a warrior, but when he looked at her, his eyes were soft and gentle, but held a large amount of grief. Dawn wondered why, and opened her mouth to ask, but remembered she didn't have a voice.

The man looked down at her when she opened her beak. "Hold on a sec, girl," he said and he reached for something with his left hand. He paused and put something on the ground, reached for something else and poured in on the ground. Water. He thought she was thirsty. _Boy, does he ever need to learn the language of… hold on a second… now that I think about it, I am thirsty… man he could read minds better than I thought._

Dawn drank from the mini cup the man had. It was complicated, but she somehow managed to do it. The man put the cup away and continued walking.

_Maybe this won't be as bad as I thought it would be…_

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See the review button under this. Click it and send me a review and I'll be very happy. 


	2. Getting to Know You

Kindred Spirits

Wow! Twelve reviews. I love this. Thank you to everyone who reviewed.

**Speaker4thesilence**: My first reviewer. Piroulines to you! That desert is like a god in my house, so this is tremendously hard to give those away. I don't want to say this, because I was hoping you'd, as my first reviewer, get the crossover right, but you're talking about the Mithgar series by Dennis L McKiernan (or at least, I think you are). I haven't read them, but they seem interesting, so I'll get them soon.

**Banditcat**: Thank you for the review. I hope I could keep you interested.

**WhiteWolf 3**: You are very cunning you know that. You're keeping me on my toes. Hopefully I'll be able to do the same with you while writing this story.

**Mistygayle**: Thanks for your review. You'll find out the second I'm done with the shout outs.

**Lazymangodancer**: Cookies all around! You got it! You even caught the key phrase. You are a little too good at getting things right on the button… Revelations about that in later chapters. Thank you so much for marking this as unique. I never really thought it was (the whole Dawn jumps, not Buffy thing going on) but to be considered that is a great honour. Thank you.

**Rae**: Yes, it is a movie. You're on the right track. Way to go! Thanks for your review.

**Cassie-bear01**: Cookies for you! I'm glad you're excited about our favourite silent man. Enjoy the chapter.

**RumorGoddess**: Cookies for you too! Way to go!

**katie**: I'm very happy you love it. Here's the next instalment.

**GummieBears91**: Cookies! Well done. Promise to keep updating.

**Destiny's Dragon**: Nope, not Animorphs, although I could see where you can get that idea. Keep reviewing.

**Technocratic Sith Lord**: Man, now there's a mouthful to say! LoL Love the name. To be honest with you, I had to look it up in the dictionary, but that's good. Now I have a new word that I could impress people with. Anyway, thanks for your review. Hope I don't disappoint.

Disclaimer: I own nothing… and I mean nothing… but the multiple DVDs I buy every payday.

Good, now that that's over, let's get on with the show…um, story.

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Chapter two: Getting to Know You 

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Dawn, the man came upon a small camp, with seven other men. _Okay, so they're having a medieval camping trip._

"How many did you kill?" asked a very large man with no hair.

"None," was the only reply that came from Dawn's rescuer.

"Damn, an awful start to the day," the bald man replied.

Kill? They actually want to kill whatever they're talking about? Hopefully he was referring to wild animals. What did I get myself into? Buffy's gonna kill me if she ever finds out.

"What have you got there, Tristan?" asked another very large man with almost no hair, who was sitting beside the other guy._ So that's his name… I could get used to that._

"An injured hawk," Tristan replied.

"Let me see." The second large man got up and came over. Dawn watched him like a hawk (A/N no pun intended) as he looked at her stomach. _He's cute; huge, but cute._

"These were made by daggers. I'll get herbs." He left to rummage through what Dawn decided to call 'the medicine cabinet'.

"Daggers? How can someone hurt you the way they did with daggers?" Tristan mumbled, barely audible to Dawn's ears. He looked down at her, sympathy filling his eyes. _He has sympathy for a bird? No, correct that, a hawk? Okay, we have a very quiet animal lover. _

"Are you hungry?" asked a long blond haired man with a short beard.

"No, but she might be."

Tristan took something red from the blond guy. It didn't look cooked, but it sure smelled good. Dawn got a better look at it as her mouth started to water. Raw meat. _Ewww! I can't believe I'm happy to see uncooked meat. God, I'm going insane._

Dawn flapped her wings trying to get away, but the hawk in her wanted the meat, so she took it and ate it. _God, I'm gonna be sick! I can't believe I just ate raw meat. Never again… hey that was good. I want more!_

Tristan looked at her and got another piece. She gobbled it down too. Dawn's mind was saying it was wrong to eat raw meat, but the hawk wouldn't hear of it.

Dagonet came and did something to Dawn, but she wasn't really paying attention. She wanted more food and something to wash the salt taste out of her mouth, and tried to tell Tristan so. Once Dagonet was finished, he took another piece of meat and gave it to her.

"You've been a very good patient. I definitely prefer you to your master," he said with a laugh.

Dawn stopped._ Master? He thought Tristan was her master? Boy is he going to regret saying that._ Dawn took off flying, not really knowing how she knew what to do. It was freedom. She had never felt the wind the way she felt it then. _If this is heaven, then don't take me away!_ After a while, she sought her revenge and attacked Dagonet. She nipped and bit and scratched him, while the others laughed at her attack. _Serves him right._ Dawn, however, made one mistake: she looked down.

Panic filled her. She was once again on top of the tower, bleeding, and the portal was getting bigger and bigger. Creatures were trying to escape from the blinding light that formed the portal. She was rutted on the spot. She couldn't move. Dawn did the only thing she could think of doing: she screamed!

It was a loud thing, causing the men around her to cover their ears. Dawn, however, didn't stop. She didn't want that to happen again. She thought she had stopped it. She suddenly felt a pair of arms surrounding her, comforting her. She didn't know who's they were, she just knew they didn't belong to Tristan.

She felt safe, comforted, as if everything was going to be all right again. Dawn never wanted out of those strong arms, and cuddled closer to the body that held her as sleep started to claim her. She looked up to see who was the owner of the arms belonged too, just before falling asleep. _Dagonet?_

* * *

"What was that?" Lancelot asked. 

"A bird afraid of heights? You've really done it this time Tristan," said Bors, laughing.

"Did you see how she attacked Dag after his comment? You could almost think the darn thing understood you, like a human," said Galahad.

"Why would a hawk be afraid of heights? It's not natural," Gawain added.

"Maybe she was in pain. After all, she is injured, and she wasn't afraid of heights when she first started to fly. Maybe attacking Dagonet stretched her wounds," Arthur theorized.

"That would make more sense, but still…" Gawain said pensively.

"One thing is for sure, this is not a normal hawk," finished Lancelot.

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Hope you liked it. See you next time. Review. 


	3. Facing Fears… Kind of

Kindred Spirits

Review replies:

**Technocratic Sith Lord: **Who knows? This chapter should clarify things though.

**Speaker4thesilence:** I know what he's going to do with the Key. You'll just have to stick around and find out for yourself. LoL

**WhiteWolf 3**: I hope you're not disappointed about the crossover being King Arthur, but I'm glad you liked the chapter.

**Destiny's Dragon: **You don't really need to see the movie to read the story. It's set before the movie. I highly recommend it though, it was awesome!

**katie**: Still happy! Enjoy some more.

**Cassie-bear01**: LoL Glad to make someone happy! It puts a smile on my face. Enjoy this chapter.

**Rae**: Yahoo! Enjoy!

**Magical Faerie: **Don't feel stupid. X-Men could have been a real possibility. It gives me ideas for another story…

**RumorGoddess**: You'll just have to wait and see where my imagination takes me, the readers and this fic. I have a feeling we're in for a wild ride. LoL

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Buffy or King Arthur. They belong to Joss Whedon and Jerry Bruckheimer

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Chapter three: Facing Fears… Kind of 

It had been two weeks since she had met the knights; two weeks since her 'death'; two weeks since she had seen her family. Dawn felt extremely homesick, but knew nothing could come of it. She couldn't go home. She couldn't see her sister again. She couldn't scold Spike for calling her Niblet. All Dawn wanted, was to go home.

Three days after they had found her, the knights had brought her to Hadrian's Wall. It was a nice place, in Dawn's opinion, and the knights liked it there a lot, even if it wasn't considered home to them. They had another two years to serve the Romans before returning to Sarmatia, she had discovered while listening to the conversations around her, and to what Tristan said in his sleep.

She had spent most of her time with him, and they had a nice relationship. Tristan took care of her and she kept him company. He wasn't like the other knights. He didn't like to bed every woman he saw like Lancelot. He didn't have nine children with a barmaid like Bors. He didn't have a god to pray to like Arthur. He liked being alone, fighting and eating apples.

He didn't like to hold much conversation, Dawn had quickly discovered. She wondered if he was always like that, or if something happened to make him that way. The girl-turned-hawk wanted to ask, but she had no voice. He'd never understand her. She'd never speak again . . . She couldn't think of that; it was far too depressing.

A knock came at the door, before Dagonet entered. Dawn's heart quickened it pace, not that she had wanted it to. The knight was intimidating; his size alone scared her and would have scared her as a human, but as a hawk, all she wanted to do was run... or fly… away, but Dag (as Bors liked to call him) had a calming sense to him. As she thought back on the memory of two weeks prior, Dawn couldn't quite figure out how she'd known his name was Dagonet in the first place, but that didn't really matter to her. She couldn't forget how she had felt being in his arms two weeks prior when she had first flown.

Her fear of heights hadn't lessened in the two weeks since her first time. If anything, it had increased. It made no sense to the knights, but it didn't make sense to Dawn either. The hawk had taken over for a lot of things: the raw meat being one of them, but when it came to flying, Dawn was always the one in control, something she didn't like.

"Has she flown?" asked Dagonet, taking Dawn out of her reverie.

"No."

"Has she tried?"

Tristan shook his head.

Dagonet took a deep breath. "Then we are going to have a problem. The Woads are moving. According to Arthur's sources, they plan to attack one of the nearby villages. We leave at sunset. You better hope she flies before then, or she'll have to stay behind."

With that, Dag left to prepare for battle. Dawn looked at Tristan, and what she saw frightened her. There was a glimpse of something. She had only seen a few times in her life: a hunger to fight. She had only seen it on Angelus. She didn't like what she saw.

_I can't be left behind. Not with Tristan like that. I have to go… I have to fly. I have to._

Dawn took a beep breath, or as much as she could, being a hawk and all, and flapped her wings. Tristan saw movement and turned toward her, wondering what she was doing. He realised she was trying to fly. She must have known what was going to happen and didn't want to be left behind!

Dawn continued to flap her wings, slowly at first, to get used to the feeling, then faster and faster. She pushed off her perch on one of the chairs in the room, hovering for a second. _Don't look down. Whatever you do, don't look down_. And she was determined to do so. She flew to Tristan's shoulder, hoping that her performance would be enough to let her come along. Once she landed, she was extremely relieved, but she felt a huge sense of accomplishment. She had flown!

Tristan smiled at her and rubbed her chest. He understood what she was trying to tell him. "You can come." Hearing the words made Dawn so happy, she just took off and flew around the room without realising what she was doing. _I could come! I could come! _She looked down to see where Tristan's shoulder was, intending to return to it, when the panic returned. The floor was getting further and further away from her. The portal had returned, it's light nearly blinding her this time.

Tristan saw her panic. She really was afraid of heights, but she flew to come with him, to battle with him. The thought touched his heart, and gave him a sense of happiness he hadn't felt in a long time. He reached out to her and took her in his arms.

"Shhh, little one. You're safe. Nothing will happen to you, I promise," he whispered. It wasn't like him to ever speak this much, but the bird needed to hear something soothing, he assumed. And that's exactly what he did. Dawn called down, and, as she seemed to do after every panic attack, fell asleep.

* * *

When Dawn awoke, it was dark, and she was moving. Or, rather, what she was on was moving. Tristan was riding with the others, and she was on the horse with him. _Brilliant!_ She moved, attempting to get on Tristan's shoulder, where she felt she belonged, but Tristan stopped her. 

"We will fight soon, little one, stay safe." Dawn didn't want to leave, but she didn't want to cause problems, and she knew that something on someone's shoulder while fighting was not good, so she waited until Tristan pulled his bow and arrows out and flew to the nearby trees and perked herself on a branch.

She watched the fighting. It was incredible! Dawn knew what good fighting was, she had seen it with Riley and the Scoobies; she knew what excellent fighting was, she had seen it with Angel and Spike; but the knights rivalled Buffy! The vampire slayer! You just knew that they were trained in the art for years. Yes, it was art. The knights used the fighting as a beautiful art and…

A noise from behind her caught her attention. A blue man with tattoos on his skin was preparing to shoot. The knights had won the battle, but they didn't see the trap. They were too busy looking for survivors. The sniper was going to kill them! She couldn't let that happen!

Dawn gave a loud screech and flew to the sniper, taking him by surprise and attacking. Her talons were deep in his skin, and she bit him repeatedly, not letting him get away with killing her friends.

The knights heard the screech and ran toward the hawk, weapons drawn. Within seconds, it was over. Mr Blue Man was dead.

Dawn flew to Tristan's outstretched arm, and he rubbed her chest. "Good girl," he said and gave her a slab of raw meat.

"Looks like she's not afraid of heights anymore," Galahad laughed.

"She still is, she just knows what's important," replied Tristan and walked away with his little companion.

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Hope you liked. Now press the little blue/purple button that says review. 


	4. Another visit from Whistler

Kindred Spirits

Review replies:

**RumorGoddess:** The romance won't really be noticeable until I turn Dawn human. When that will be, I'm not telling just yet.

**Aggsgurl:** So happy you're enjoying reading the fic. Enjoy!

**Guinevere:** I can tell you that yes, Dawn will become human again, but I can't tell you any more without spoiling some of the plot. If I do that, you'll probably stop reading because you know what's going on. I can't loose my readers; I love them too much!

**Katie:** Thank you for taking the time to review. Happy you love it. I update because I have people like you supporting me. Thank you.

**Cassie-Bear01:** Happy to have made your morning! To tell you the truth, I'm not sure if I'm going to save him. I'm really tempted to, believe me. I'll just have to wait and see what I write when that time comes. Thank you for reviewing.

**Nikeon:** Yes, the summary really sucks. I can't do those very well, as I have discovered, the hard way. I don't know about you, but for me, they are harder to write than people think. I'm happy you decided to read it and found it interesting. Enjoy this chapter!

**WhiteWolf 3:** Dawn didn't overcome her fear of heights; she just put it aside to help Tristan. It is possible, because I've done it myself. Not with my own fear of heights, but with my fear of blood. It gets real bad sometimes, to the point where I often pass out, even at the blood from a paper cut. My mom tripped coming up the stairs a few years ago and cut her head open, and I took care of her without panic or even flinching at the blood coming out of her head until the ambulance came and brought her to the hospital. I was completely fine until they were on their way to the hospital. It was only after that I threw up and passed out. Dawn's going to have problems with heights in the future, but we know that she can be counted on in an emergency.

**Destiny's Dragon:** Thank you. I've never been turned into a hawk (obviously LoL), so I imagine myself being one and try to describe what I think would happen to me and how I'd react. It's wonderful to know that people think I do a good job.

**Magical Faerie:** At the moment, you don't need to see the movie, and as far as I'm concerned, you won't need to see it for later chapters, since I'm also writing this for someone who hasn't seen King Arthur yet, and they really enjoy it too. If something changes, I'll be sure to give everyone notice that they need to view the movie to understand something. Even then, I'll be making an author's note to explain what's in need of clarification.

**Kenny7:** I'm a ma'am and I'm writing more, promise. It brings a smile to my face knowing you love the story.

**Blazing Fire:** I feel so blessed! Thank you for making me an exception. I just love this. As for making Dawn a hawk, I can't take that credit. 'A heart on Wings' by Troyfan16 and the very first Buffy crossover I ever read, 'The Key to Marauding' by Anoron inspired me. I'll make sure not to stray from the track I'm being guided upon.

**Black Opall:** Another instalment is here, don't worry. Unfortunately, I can only promise a **maximum** of two updates per month. With my two jobs and other responsibilities, that is as much as I can do. What I can say, with certainty, is that I have a good idea where this is going, so I'm not quitting this any time in the predictable future, unless a major personal disaster strikes (Heaven forbid)

Sorry it took me so long to update. My cousin dropped off her one-year old for me to look after for eight weeks while she was out of town visiting her mom (her mom has cancer and wanted to be with her to support and take care of her). With a kid, I was so tired; I couldn't find the time to update. All I wanted to do while Cooper was sleeping was sleep myself. After not writing for so long, I couldn't get back in the story, so I made myself a plan to see where I want to go with this story. Now that I'm more then ten chapters ahead, I'm back in the story enough to write chapter four. Now the real story begins. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

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Chapter four: Another visit from Whistler 

Dawn swooped down, digging her talons into the mouse she had been hunting. Eighteen months had gone by and she got accustomed to sharing her brain with a hawk. Instead of fighting each other subconsciously, they compromised and worked together. It was like having an alter ego, Dawn figured; like Bruce Wayne and Batman or Clark Kent and Superman, only her alter ego didn't have a name or was a comic book character.

The Key-turned-hawk flew fast in the air, at a reasonable height, but it still wasn't as high as normal hawks would fly. She wanted to return to Hadrian's Wall in time to leave with the knights on their next mission. After all the trouble she went through to join the fighting in the first place, she was not about to be late to leave with the knights.

Dawn felt like she was being watched by something, but couldn't see where the feeling came from. Deciding things weren't right, the hawk landed on a nearby tree branch and observed her surroundings more carefully. Her mouse completely forgotten, Dawn could feel herself getting tense, not liking the intensity of the stare she felt on her.

"Don't worry kid, I'm not here to hurt you, just warn you," said a familiar voice. Whistler appeared before her, floating in mid-air.

_What does he want now? _Dawn asked herself, not wanting to be bothered with whatever he had to say.

"I can hear your thoughts, you know, since you can't talk and all. I'm here to warn you," he said.

_You said that already. Warn me about what?_

"Danger's coming. The enemy's planning on taking over the land, killing everything in sight. You have to help the knights stop them."

_Woards are taking over the land? I knew they were not happy with the Romans using the land that once belonged to them, but I didn't think they wanted an all out war. How do I help the knights? It's not like I can kill people, you know. I'm just a bird. I can only do so much._

"Not the woards, kid, but the Saxons."

_The who?_

"Saxons. They come from across the sea. What you called Ireland in your old life. And you can do more then you think you can."

_Like what? I'm a hawk, remember? You made me this way. There's not much I can do besides injure someone. My talons can't go that deep in someone's flesh._

"Yeah, you are a hawk, but you're also human."

_Human? I have feathers! I've been human, Whistler, and trust me, feathers are not part of the human package._

"The powers say that you've gained the trust of the knights enough to become human again. You'll get back into you're original human form soon enough, looking exactly like you did when you were with the Slayer. All you have to do is help the knights live."

_I'm going to be human and help the knights? Then why turn me into a hawk in the first place?_

"So you could adapt to being in this land, learning how this land works without having to explain how a girl like you came from."

_Okay, but that doesn't tell me how I can help the knights. Roman woman are not aloud to fight._

"Ah, you are not Roman."

_But they'll treat me like a Roman._

"Kid, listen, no matter what, you have to learn how to fight. You have to protect the knights. They can't die. Find a way to help them. Anyway you could think of, use it. Protect the knights."

_They don't need much protection, you know. They fight just as good as Buffy, If they'd fight each other, it'd be a draw. How can I protect them?_

"The Saxons are out to kill. You can save their lives."

_By turning human again and learning to fight? I don't see how I could help them._

"You forget something, kid. You're the Key. You have the power. You just have to use it."

_Last time the Key's power was used, a huge portal opened and I died! I don't think the Key's a good thing to use._

"Last time, the power was used against the Key. This time, the power will be used to you're advantage. You will call forth the power, and you will use it well. I've got to go, my time's up. Remember, there are lives depending on you kid. Good luck." With that, he disappeared.

_Wait! I'm still a hawk! I can't do anything yet! Whistler? Whistler! Get back here! I hate you Whistler!_

Dawn knew it was no use. The Balance demon was gone. _Now what?_ She thought. She looked at the sky, hoping it would give her the answers she needed. Dawn noticed where the sun was in the sky. _Shit! I'm late! _She said and took off towards Hadrian's Wall. _I'm going to kill that balance demon when I get my hands on him!_

* * *

The hawk made it back in time to see Bors and Dag leaving Tristan's room. She flew in through the window, and perched herself on the back of a chair near Tristan's bed, who was filling the rest of his pack with a blanket and other necessities. She squawked, announcing her presence. Tristan gave her a smile, then turned to his pack. 

Dawn was sitting for a few minutes, when she suddenly felt a huge pain all over her body. Dawn squawked in pain, and fell to the floor. It was like someone was pulling every bone in her body from its socket.

Tristan picked her up, placing her on the more comfortable bed, worried filled his eyes. He had never heard a cry of pain the way the hawk was at that moment. He didn't know what had happened for her to be in so much pain.

Dawn didn't know what was happening. All she knew was the intense pain. She didn't hear herself squawk anymore, she only knew the torture her body was going through. She didn't see the confused look on Tristan's face when her body stretched in all directions. She didn't see him jump back in shock when her hawk self turned into her human body.

Just as suddenly as it started, the pain stopped. There was nothing left to show the amount of pain she had been in just seconds before. Not a tingly feeling, not a twitch, nothing. As if she had just imagined the whole thing. She tried sitting up, but her body was too tired after the transformation. She closed her eyes, and fell asleep; then fell deeper, all the way to where she couldn't wake up anymore.

* * *

Tristan had seen it, but he couldn't believe it. His eyes had seen his hawk friend turn into a naked girl, right on his bed, before him. Without thinking, he took the blanket from his pack and covered her, and shocked that no one had heard her cries of pain, left the room running, in search of Arthur.

* * *

Well, I hope this makes up for the time I didn't post a new chapter. I'm extremely sorry. I promise, the next update will be at the regular end of month update time. Until then, keep reviewing. 


	5. Of Missions and Explanations

Sorry to leave everyone hanging, but, I'm back, and will hopefully (but not making any promises) make more regular updates.

I want to thank everyone, and I mean EVERYONE who reviewed. If it weren't for you, I'd have taken a lot longer to get back to my writing.

If anyone out there knows someone (it could even be yourself) who would be willing to beta the story, please let me know.

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Kindred Spirits

Chapter 5: Of Missions and Explanations

Tristan ran as fast as he could to Arthur's chambers. He burst the door opened, nearly breaking it with the force, and saw Arthur turning from Lancelot to face him.

"Tristan, what's troubling you?" asked the Catholic.

"The hawk….she's not a hawk."

"What do you mean?" asked Lancelot.

"I mean she's human. She turned human right in front of me. You were right Lancelot." Tristan recalled the first time Lancelot mentioned that the hawk wasn't a normal hawk.

"Where is the girl now?" asked Arthur.

"In my room. She was watching me pack when she started screeching and screaming. It was like a wild animal was eating her alive, Arthur. I've never heard such a sound."

"Lancelot, get Dagonet. We'll need him to heal her in whatever way he can. Hurry please. Tristan, please try to keep this quiet. Someone was bound to hear her cries. The less panic there is in the fort the better."

Arthur left the men and went to Tristan's room. He saw a young woman, maybe twenty years old, wrapped in one of Tristan's blankets, covering her body. Her hair was humid and spread out around her head, some sticking to her neck and cheeks. Her breathing was forced and irregular, almost like she was struggling to do the simplest task the human body can do.

Dagonet entered the room, Lancelot not far behind. The larger man sat on the bed, put his hand on her forehead and checked her breathing.

"Bring me some cool water and a clean cloth. She has a fever. And for goodness sake, get her a nightgown to wear," Dag said to no one in particular. He levelled the woman's head, clearing her airway, and the forced breathing seemed to turn to a more natural state.

He ran his hands through her damp hair, moving them away from her neck and cheeks. She looked like she was sleeping, with her hair fanned out around her head.

Dag heard footsteps coming closer to the room and turned to see Tristan and Lancelot, the lather carrying a cloth and a light nightgown, Tristan carrying a bucket of water.

"Varona will be up shortly to dress the girl; she said she doesn't want anyone putting their hands on her nightdress. She has to find Bors to tell him to take care of Nine and Ten," Lancelot said as he gave Dag the piece of fabric and Tristan put the wooden container on the floor next to his bed.

"Then what are you doing with it?" asked Dag as he dunked the material in water, and put it on the girl's forehead.

"YOU!" shouted Varona. She walked over and slapped Lancelot across the face. "How dare you go through my things? Just you wait until that girl is better, then you'll regret ever being born."

She turned to the girl lying in Tristan's bed. "Everyone out; right this instant. There is no way I'm going to let you all gawk at the poor girl one moment longer."

All the knights, excluding Dag, left the room. "That includes you, Dagonet. Don't make me get angry with you."

"Very well. Don't forget to keep the cloth damp. Keep trying to bring her fever down."

"I know how to take care of a fever. Do not forget I have ten children, all of which have had many fevers in their short lives." Dagonet chuckled as he let Varona dress the girl in privacy.

* * *

Dawn could hear the familiar voices all around her, and something cold that felt good on her forehead. She tried to open her eyes and talk, but her body was too tired from the transformation. _When I get my hands on Whistler, he's so dead!_

"She's beenunconscious for many hours, Arthur, how do we know she's not dead?" asked a voice Dawn recognised, but couldn't place who was speaking.

"She's still breathing," replied a voice closer to wherever the former hawk was laying.

_Okay, I'm knocked out again. Am I turning into Giles or something? This is his job. Mine is to get kidnapped all the time. And I don't think it's Tuesday either. Wake up Dawn! Let Giles have his job back. Damn it! Wake up!_

_It won't work just yet, Kid._

_Whistler? What are you doing in my head? You're so dead you're going to wish Buffy had killed you a long time ago._

_You're definitely made from your sister. Always resorting to violence. I'm a Balance demon, kid; you can't kill me._

_I could try!_

_No, you can't. You can't even move. _

_And it's all you're fault. Why can't I wake up?_

_Because your body has to adjust to the change it just went through. Your mind is awake; your body isn't ready. It will be soon though, so don't worry._

_So I'm stuck in my own body? How long is this going to take? _

_Not long, if you don't interrupt me._

_Oh, how nice. You need to tell me something. Start talking, asshole._

_Language, kid. The slayer would be angry to hear you talking that way. _

_Get to the point; I want to wake up._

_I have a mission for you from the Powers._

_Them again? Haven't they already ruined my family's life enough already?_

_You're interrupting me, kid. Let me speak, and you'll wake up that much faster._

_Fine, talk then._

_They want you to do something._

_Of course they do._

_They want you to learn how to fight in battle._

_Huh? Come again?_

_They want you to learn how to fight, in a battle._

_Why?_

_You'll need it one day soon._

_Soon? What's that supposed to mean?_

_It means you have to be a great fighter within a certain time period._

_How long?_

_Three months._

_THREE MONTHS? Do you realise how impossible that is?_

_You're made of the slayer, kid. You have the ability to master weapons in very little time._

_So? I couldn't even hold a steak good enough to stab a vampire in the heart. I'm not the slayer. It's not possible._

_That's where the Powers come in. They enhance that part of the slayer in you, so you can master weapons easily._

_Why would I need to learn how to fight anyway?_

_To protect the knights._

_Me? Protect the knights? Have you seen them? They don't need protection, especially not from me. I can't protect them. I'm only fifteen… well sixteen… maybe seventeen, depending on what time of year we're in… but that's not the point. What can I do to protect them?_

_Learn how to fight. Listen. We don't have much time left. Your body's ready to wake up._

_But I can't…_

_Yes you can; you just have to believe in yourself, kid._

_Whistler…_

_Wake up Dawn. It's time to start your training._

_What…_

Dawn opened her eyes, gasping for breath as she sat up quickly. She didn't recognize where she was, but she did see Arthur, Dagonet, Bors and Tristan standing not far from her bed, turning toward her when they heard her make noise.

"Where am I?" Dawn asked hoarsely, letting her know her throat was dry.

Dag came over and took the bucket of water used to keep her cool, bringing it to her lips. Dawn drank greedily, giving Dagonet a silent thank you with her eyes.

"Easy. It's not good to drink too fast when feeling dehydrated. You'll get sick," said Dag as he took the bucket away from her.

Arthur came closer to her, and sat down on the bed. "My name is…"

"I know your name, Arthur. I'm not an idiot. I don't know where I am."

"You are in Varona's room in the fort." Arthur paused, waiting to see if the girl had more questions. When she didn't say anything, he decided to ask his own. "Who are you? Do you remember what happened to you?"

Dawn took a deep breath, and started explaining the Scoobies lives, from the beginning, praying that they'd believe her and didn't think she's crazy. "I'm Dawn Summers, and this is going to take a long time to explain, not to mention, it's extremely complicated…"

* * *

The knights' reaction and the answer to the major question: will they train Dawn to fight?

Review replies:

**Amy**: I was almost done writing the chapter when you reviewed, so good timing. LoL. I'm guessing with this answer and update that I'm not abandoning the story. I never had intentions of doing so. It just took a longer time to get the chapter out than anyone would have thought.

**Scarlet-rose-de-lioncourt**: The pairing isn't obvious yet, because I haven't gotten into it much yet. I was debating on whom Dawn would fall for (one of the reasons it took so long to update). It's not going to happen for a while, though. I want it to take what time it really would take in real life.

**Helea**: I've been reading stories of TTH for about two years, but was debating if I should join or not. But I did so you can read it there too. Enjoy!

**Damia – Queen of the Gypsi's**: Yes, it will change the outcome of many things, and although some people will die, others won't. I'd like to make a twist from everything else out there. And yes, Dag is my favorite knight and Tristan comes to a very close second, but that doesn't mean that bad things won't happen to them… or does it?

**Lazymangodancer**: I don't really know anyone out there besides Victoria87 and Ariel Marina, and neither of them knows enough of Buffy or King Arthur to be a beta. If you know of anyone, please let me know, and I could try to contact him or her. I'd be willing to do pretty much anything to make my story better. Thank you.


	6. Confusing Everyone

Well, this took a lot longer than expected, that's for sure. I'm not even going to begin making excuses, because you just want to get to the story, I'd expect. Well, here it is.

Disclaimer: I own nothing… absolutely nothing!!!!!!!!

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Chapter 6: Confusing Everyone

She couldn't do it. She couldn't explain to them everything that happened in Sunnydale, how she came to be, nothing! They'd never believe her. How could they believe that she had been created by monks and hunted by a hell god so said hell god could get home? How could she explain that her sister, a girl, was stronger than any man and the only hope for the people of Sunnydale to stay alive and protected by the evils of the night?

The explanation had started out okay. Her name, how complicated things would be, and then, she stopped. She hated herself for not having the guts to tell them the truth, for fearing the thought of them thinking she was insane. Or worse, them thinking this was a ploy from their enemy to get to them one by one. She knew them well enough to know that they would think of the magician, Merlin. She knew they'd think she's one of them. She was a girl, someone who knew what the enemy was planning. Woads have female fighters. They'd think she was sent to destroy them from inside the Wall. She had to set them strait.

Dawn took another deep breath and started again. "You might not want to believe me. Heck, I can hardly believe it, and I lived it! Just promise me you won't think I'm crazy until I'm finished," she looked Arthur directly in the eyes when she said this.

Arthur didn't say anything. He wanted an explanation, but the way the girl seemed like she wasn't going to tell them the whole story. But all she asked was that they not think her 'crazy', as she put it, until she stopped her explanation. It seemed fair to him, whatever 'crazy' was.

"Very well, I will not think you 'crazy' until I've heard everything. I cannot promise the same for my knights. I do not…"

"…Tell them what to think, but how to think. It's the first lesson you teach anyone. I've heard them say it many times before," interrupted Dawn, speaking as if it were only she and Arthur in the room.

"Yes, well, please tell us the truth."

"Okay," she took a third deep breath, and started explaining. "Someone powerful, they called her Glory. Anyways, she was after me… my blood, I should say. They were dangerous and caused a lot of problems, where I come from. My sister, Buffy, was the protector of the town, and had her friends helping her, but it wasn't enough. Glory got through my sister's defences, and took me.

"Glory wanted my blood, thinking it would bring her home. She did this ritual, on a hundred foot tower, and cut me. A portal appeared, but before she had a chance to jump in it, my sister got to her. They fought, and Buffy got rid of Glory, but the portal didn't disappear. I remembered part of the ritual: it said the only way the portal would close was if my blood stopped flowing. So I jumped. I died.

"He was waiting for me. Whistler. He said I wasn't finished, said I had something else to do before I died. He turned me into a hawk, but I still had my human injuries. Then Tristan saved me from being eaten by the wolf, and, well, you know…

"Whistler came to me again while I was hunting. Said that I'd adjusted to Hadrian's Wall enough to fulfill my 'mission'. He said I'd turn into my human self, and disappeared. I didn't know what to think, and came back before you all went for your latest mission. Then I turned human again. You know the rest, more then I do, anyways. Sorry if I scared you Tristan."

They looked at her, not sure what to believe. Dagonet got his voice back first. "What mission was assigned to you?"

She'd been hoping they wouldn't ask her that. She couldn't tell them. So, she lied. "I don't know. I guess he assumed I would know, but I don't. He just told me I'd need to know how to fight." She hoped they'd believe her enough to help her train. Or at least, attain the weapons she'd need to learn how to do so.

"I thought you said your sister was the protector of your village? Didn't she teach you anything?" asked Lancelot, testing her story.

"Buffy is the protector of my village; that doesn't mean she taught me much more than what I needed to know to defend myself. She was very protective of me. She didn't want anything bad to happen to me. If you had a younger sister, would you want something bad to happen to her?" Dawn challenged the knight. She knew that if she could keep her own against Lancelot, she could at least convince him she was okay, and in turn, Arthur, which would most likely turn the rest of the knights.

"Who said anything about having a younger sister? I'm just saying…"

"Oh, but you do, Lancelot. As a hawk, I had exceptional hearing. I heard many things while flying around while you were all on missions, or getting drunk in the tavern. I know more about you then you think. You forgot I've been around for almost two years. I know why you do the things you do."

"Oh, you do, do you? Well, let's come to my chambers and discuss this further."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "You just can't resist, can you? I wouldn't go to your chambers even if I were drunk, Lancelot."

"Really."

"Really. I'm not desperate, like those other girls. I'm not one to fall for a guy because they give me the eye, as Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe put it."

The knights looked at each other in confusion.

_Must be girls from her village_, thought Gawain.

"Can we get back to the subject at hand, please?" asked Dawn.

"Why did we not hear of the trouble in your village?" asked Dagonet.

Shit! Damn you Dag for being so perceptive. I should have known. Okay, just tell the truth Dawn, tell the truth.

"My village isn't part of the Roman Empire. We are further to the east."

"There is nothing beyond the Great Water of the east," said Bors.

"Impossible," commented Tristan, speaking for the first time since Dawn awoke.

"So says the guy who saw a hawk turn into a girl before his very eyes. Nothing's impossible, Tristan."

There was a long silence; the knights contemplating what Dawn had said. Finally, Arthur broke the silence.

"I think we should discuss this alone," he said. "Knights, to the round table."

The men left Dawn alone, something she didn't want. Though she enjoyed being a hawk, she missed being able to be understood. She missed being able to have a conversation with people.

Dawn waited for the knights to return. And waited. And waited. She tried keeping herself occupied by looking around the room, humming to herself, walking around, and looking out the second story window.

She heard children running around outside, as well as from below her, but they were faint. Dawn sighed. She would miss her hawk abilities.

_Thanks a lot Whistler. Now I have to adjust to being human again…_

Dawn hummed three more songs before deciding she wasn't going to stay in the room any longer. She was never told to stay in the first place. Why should she stay cooped up in her room when she had to train to protect the knights from the Saxons.

She left the room, not caring that she only wore a nightgown, and crept down the stairs. The yells of the children were louder as she got closer to the end of the stairway.

_Why doesn't anyone tell these kids to settle down_, she thought.

When she reached the last step, she saw why no one went near the children: they were Bors' children. They were climbing everywhere; on everyone and everything. She took a deep breath, and prepared to practice what she preached.

"Six, get off Four. Gilly, get Eight off the counter. Three, clean up this mess. Two, take care of Nine and Ten. Now, all of you, settle down or I'll sick Tristan's hawk on you."

_What they don't know can't hurt them, right?_

Dawn left when all the children had done (out of fear) what they were told. It wasn't the first time Dawn took initiative to discipline the children. She had done so, as a hawk, when Varona was away. Dawn didn't know how the older woman did it!

She made her way to the armoury and looked at the weapons. Dagonet's battle-axe and Tristan's bow and arrows were amongst them. She chose the weapon she'd figured she'd have the most trouble with, the long bow, and went to the empty training grounds, next to the stables.

Everything was ready for her, as were the rules of the training grounds. Targets were to be set up for the next person to use. Dawn made a mental note to get someone to help her fix the place when she was finished.

She moved herself to about twenty feet (six meters) from the target, and struggled with the fletching and the string. Finally, she got the pieces together, positioned herself like Tristan often did in the training grounds or the battlefield, and shot.

The arrow landed in the ground about five feet (one and a half meters) from where Dawn stood. She looked from the ground, to her target, and back to the arrow, before taking a deep breath and tried again.

She tried for almost an hour before she couldn't lift her arms anymore. She couldn't believe that after spending eighteen months as a hawk, she didn't have more arm muscle than what she had just demonstrated to herself. Not to mention, she had missed her target completely fourteen out the fifteen arrows she shot.

_So much for slayer powers. Stupid Whistler._

Dawn sat on the ground, her hair damp from sweat, and took deep breaths to calm her aching muscles.

"Are you alright, Lady?" asked a voice behind her.

Dawn turned to see Jols, a good friend to Arthur and the knights. He was very kind to the animals in the city, and Dawn as a hawk had been no exception.

"Jols!" she exclaimed and rushed to give him a hug. "I finally get to see you! It's been days!"

Jols looked at the girl in confusion. "Have we met, Lady?"

"Jols! It's me! Tristan's hawk! You're the only one who would pet me right above my beak, and you gave me the best tasting meat ever! Just thinking about it makes me hungry. You wouldn't happen to have any now, would you?"

The man looked at Dawn as if she was insane and backed away slowly. It was then she remembered she wasn't a hawk anymore.

_Damn you to hell, Whistler. Just you wait until I get my hands on you!_

* * *

Chapter 7 is already started, so you won't have to wait as long for the next update.

I wish to thank each and every one of you who has read this story, reviewed it, added it to their C2, to their favourites list, and story alerts, as well as those who added me to their author alert list. Without you, I would have completely forgotten about this story.

Thank you for sticking with me and supporting me through this year of very little updates and my being an author I don't like: one that starts a story and takes months to update.

Hope to update soon,

Tresor

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!!!!! Have a happy and safe 2008!


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